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When do you get your security clearance?

08-16-2019, 10:50 PM

I'm currently waiting to hear back about my CID Direct Accession application, but I was wondering how the army goes about granting security clearances for MOS's that require them. Will I have to go through the entire SSBI before even shipping to basic, or will I be waiting around for the investigation to be completed after finishing OSUT?

All of the MOS's I'm looking at require a TS clearance, but I'm not sure how the Army usually goes about processing them.

If you're approved for the program, they will start processing your paperwork for the clearance. Depending on what level of clearance you need, you can be issued an interim clearance. Interim clearances are issued all the time under certain guidelines.

I don't answer recruitment messages....

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NaturalZero I came in through the CID Direct Accession Program. I've been an agent for almost 3 years, doing both investigations and protection. I have less than a year and a half until I get out. I did my first year with an interim secret clearance that was actually valid, and my next two with an actual secret clearance (somebody screwed up along the way and I wasn't put in for the right clearance level). I was just notified this past week that I was approved for TS/SCI, and I get read into SCI this upcoming week. So basically, don't worry about it. They'll put you to work. The positions in CID where you would get to be exposed to classified info are not the ones you'll be starting in anyway.

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NaturalZero I joined the AF in 2010, needed a TS/SCI immediately for tech school. I was given numerous times away during basic training to tidy up the SF-86 that was basically lightly brushed by my recruiter prior to shipping out with the information I provided her. Maybe a month into my tech school I met with an investigator during the week, and then never heard a word again. Got to my first duty station and I was read into SCI again. They can grant interims as needed in the military.

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Right now TS clearances are backlogged like crazy min 12 months could be 18 months. I know I was told this directly by my recruiter. Secret is about 8 months to a year.....BUT in saying that. I was told in rare cases TS's have been granted in 8 months and secret in much less than that. DoD seems to be faster than IC for whatever reason if that gives you any hope.

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I received a Secret clearance in 1968 and Top Secret (Crypto) in 1969. Back in those days the backgrounds were being done by US Army intelligence personnel, frequently face-to-face interviews with just about anyone you every knew. By the 1980's backgrounds were being contracted out to national security companies, which subcontracted work to local investigators (lots of active cops and retired cops working part-time as needed), which provided me with a decent part-time business for a few years (chasing public records, court records, school records, interviewing former employers and neighbors, etc).

I remember having to attend a half-day briefing before receiving my TS-Crypto. There were requirements to report any and all contacts with foreign nationals or anyone attempting to get us to talk about our work or assignments, and a long list of places and countries we were prohibited from travelling to unless under military orders. In most assignments a certain level of clearance was required to qualify for a position, and promotions were not considered unless the proper clearance(s) were current. Loss of security clearance was a career-killing event, usually resulting in transfer to menial assignments elsewhere, frequently denial of re-enlistment.

Many of the upper level clearances (Crypto, Chemical-Biological-Radiological, special compartmented information) required at least annual review and investigations of any potentially negative circumstances (like divorce, criminal actions, lawsuits, etc). Probably still being done on a routine basis via internet connections.

I suspect that much of the shoe leather work has been replaced by internet services, and what might have taken months 50 years ago is probably being done in a month or less today (at least to the point of an interim clearance pending final review and disposition).

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I had a phone call going over basic questions on my SF86. I guess that's just to start the ball rolling while my application is being sent to the CID board.
The next 30-ish days is going to last forever.

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I had a phone call going over basic questions on my SF86. I guess that's just to start the ball rolling while my application is being sent to the CID board.
The next 30-ish days is going to last forever.

Comment from a guy who has done hundreds of backgrounds:

One of the first steps in the process is a cold interview with the applicant. I have all of his paperwork, background questionnaire, employment application, credit history, and most public records, school records, etc; the applicant has nothing but his memory.

The object of the exercise is to determine if the applicant can tell the same story twice in a row. By going through every point, sometimes more than once, it is pretty easy to separate the liars from the truthful. Unfortunately, very few people are ever completely truthful.

Back in the days when I was doing backgrounds on a dozen or more applicants for each position I found that I could easily eliminate at least half just be comparing what they said on the application to what they reported on the background questionnaire, to what their credit reports contained (job history, residence history, legal actions and other good stuff), and what they responded with in a simple follow-up interview a few weeks later.

If you were completely truthful throughout the process the next 30 days might seem like forever. If you fudged a fact here or there to make yourself look better the next 30 days could be the shortest month of your life.

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I was completely truthful in the background questionnaire. I don't have anything to worry about when it comes to telling the truth. I've already said as much when applying to my local PD, for which I actually had to sit through a polygraph.

I'm more concerned about how competitive the approval process is for CID and whether my background is impressive enough to warrant acceptance.

Hahahahaha! "Impressive enough to warrant acceptance." I haven't been too impressed by CID agents, especially when it comes to writing. I can tell by your writing on this website alone that you'll do fine.

Always be truthful with your PHS or SF-86 or whatever background paperwork you are doing. Everyone has a different past. Put everything down. Answer the questions as they are asked. If it is an "In the last 7 years questions" then only put down what has happened in the last 7 years. With "have you ever" questions those are your entire life. I find you will rest easier putting down everything and being truthful. IMO I would rather do that and let whoever decide if they want to bring me on board based on my background than to leave something out on purpose and be disqualified because I tried to lead the investigation.

Sometimes you get asked questions, not on the background. I did my SF-86 and one of the questions asked have you ever been fired from a job in the last 10 years. Well, I haven't but when the person who called me to go over my SF-86 they ask me the same question but have I EVER been fired from a job, not just the last 10 years. The answer was yes and I had to go into detail what happened.

Honestly after reading about this in many different places. Truthfulness is looked for more so than what is actually in your background. If you made it to that point and haven't been DQ'd you stand a good chance of getting thru the backgrounf.......as long as you are truthful.